Marmalade Christmas
by Pyro Bear
Summary: Wesley spends a night during the holiday season babysitting his four-year-old brother.


CYA (Cover Your Ass) Statement: Roses are red, violets are blue. I don't own them, and niether do you. I only own Andrew. Wanna borrow, please do, just tell people who he belongs too. 

This is just a bunch of Christmas time fluff. It's all fun and games. And this is based that in Angel's Season five, he's 27/28. In this fic, he's 17. Enjoy.   


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Marmalade Christmas

Wesley sighed as he flicked on some child's program for his four-year-old brother, Andrew. "Watch this," he commanded as the older boy settled on the couch, textbook in hand. With a stuffed bear clad with Wellington boots clenched in his tiny left hand, the child flopped in front of the television, mesmerized. 

It was Christmas vacation, and Wesley was trying to get some studying done before he went back. The end of the semester was fast approaching, and he wanted, no, he needed to receive high marks on the finals. How else could he become Head Boy? 

A sharp poke in his side made him look up. 

"What?" he snapped, irritated. It hadn't even been five minutes, nor was he able to even open his text. 

"Hungry," Andrew stated. Even at four years. He was not very vocal. He had learned to talk at a very young age, but soon he began to lose in it. Like the novelty of talking was just a cheap toy. 

Sighing, Wesley placed the book on the coffee table and stood. Waling briskly into the kitchen, he didn't waste anytime popping a piece of toast into the toaster. Andrew ambled behind his older brother at a much slower pace. As the toaster dinged, he was just scrambling into his seat. But by the time Wesley had produced the piece of toast, cut in half, with butter, and slathered with a thick layer of strawberry jam, he was sitting there expectantly.   
  
He looked down at the plate and then back up at Wesley. "Marmalade," Andrew demanded. "Marmalade like Paddington." Paddington Bear, which was currently residing in front of the television, forgotten, was his favorite toy as well as his favorite series of books. 

"We don't have any marmalade," Wesley said. Well, any that's open. 

"Marmalade," Andrew repeated, louder this time. 

"We don't have any marmalade," Wesley tried to reason with the four year old. 

"Marmalade!" Andrew continued his chant, going louder and louder until he was screaming. His face was red and two big fat baby tears rolled down his cheeks, leaving a wet trail. 

"Fine," Wesley growled, opening the cupboard. The younger brother quieted right down and a swipe of a hand cleared away any sign that he was crying. After searching a bit, Wesley came upon a jar of Orange Marmalade. Quickly making up another piece of toast, he set it out in front of Andrew. He, instead, ate the toast with the strawberry jam. 

After Andrew was done, Wesley cleaned up his brother and surrounding area before going back to study. It never ceased to amaze him at the huge mess his younger brother seemed to create when he ate. Sighing, Wesley wondered why his parents couldn't just hire a babysitter while they went out to the annual Watcher's Council Christmas party. He would never be able to get high marks if he couldn't find time to study. 

Settling down on the couch, Wesley finally opened his textbook and start on chapter one. Turning a page, and then another, he found that he just needed to scan. Deciding that he knew all the ways to dispel a Fear demon, he turned to the next chapter. This one was on exorcism. When they were tested on this, he had gotten an 85. Wesley needed to make sure he knew everything. He began to read. 

He was interrupted by another poke in the side. 

"Yes?" he nearly snarled, irritated. 

Andrew stood there, not even perturbed by the look of annoyance on his older brother's face. "Read," he held up a dog-eared copy of _A Night Before Christmas_. It had been Wesley's book once upon a time, and he had loved it. 

Taking the book from his brother, Wesley waited until Andrew was settled and comfortable, which just happened to be on his older brother's lap. Clutched in his left hand was Paddington bear. Hugging it close, Andrew fixed a smile upon his face as he cuddled into his brother's chest. 

Awkwardly, Wesley put his arms around the four-year-old dead weight in his lap, fixing it so both Andrew and he could see the pictures. "A Night before Christmas," Wesley read off the title page. Turning the page, he began to read. "It was the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." 

Andrew snuggled even closer to Wesley's chest. "Love you," he whispered as he closed his eyes and listened to his older brother read to him. 

Wesley looked down, smiled, and continued to read. 

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Want to see more of Andrew and Wesley? Read From the Veins. Like kidfics (fics with kids front and center)? Visit the Barefoot Awards. Links in my Profile. 


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